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April 20, 1926.

F. S. BACON ROTATI NG RETORT Original Filed April 7. 1923 I fbodjving my invention; I I ,:--Figure 2 1s a view in cross section on I Reissue'd Apr- 20, 1926.

UNITED 'sTATEs PATENT OFFICE;

3321114310 8. report, or nmnnmown, oonnnc'rr'cor, ASSIGNOB To MABIEA a.

BACON, or'nmnm'rown, CONNECTICUT."

' ROTATING BBTO'BT.

- Original to. 1,556,194, dated time a,

1925, Serial 1T9. $0,501, flledApril 1, 1923. Application .to:'

reisaueflled January 22, 1926. Serial No. 83,152.

'- new and Improved Rotating Retorts, of.

which the following. is a specification.

My invention.- relates more especially to that classof devices employed for 'sepaby means ofheat, masses of material Urinating; 4 into t e various ingredients composing such masses, and an object of my invention, among others, is to'provide a device of this jclass by means of which the separation of such ingredients. may be-conducted in a thorough, efiibient and expeditious manner.

One formof apparatus embodying my invention'and in the construction'and use of which the objects'hereinset out, as well'a's ot a' y b a igaccompanying drawings, in whichv a. Figure 1 is a vi wain central vertical section lengthwise through an apparatus emplane denoted by the dotted "line 2- 2 of Figure 3. 7 1 y Figure 3 is a view in side elevation,- scale enlarged, of. a portion of the apparatus,

. showing parts broken away at opposite end and also intermediate said ends.

--While my invention is not limited in its -material, yet as it finds ready adaptation ous ingredients comprised in such shale, have illustrated my lnvention in connection with an apparatus especially adaptedfor the treatment of such material, such apparatus,

foundation for tubes that are rotatably .mounted upon said foundation, the latter ined,l isillustrated in theuseto the treatment of any specific kind ofin the separation from oil shale of the varigenerally speaking, comprising a base or inlet end of the structure includes posts 5-43,

' two of each of said posts located at each end ofthe section. The intermediate section is composed partially of two of the posts 6 and 4 partiall. of the ends of two side walls 7, said sidewa ls'being comprised in the outlet section of the apparatus. The posts 5 and 6 are spaced apart both lengthwise and laterally. of the "structure and the endsof the side's 7 are spaced from the posts 6.I The several posts and sidewalls are suitably. formed with shoulders or ledge s to receive" other, parts comprising the inlet, intermediate and outlet sections of the apparatus.

The inlet. and intermediate? sections are provided with bottom'plates '8 restingupoir the" ledges abovelreferredto and'en'd, plates.

9 are supported u on andjrise from. said bottom plates Si es 1 O are also "supported upon thefbottom plates, the whole together .with ,top plates'llcomprising a compart- *ment constitutinga furnace 12 appurtenant to each of the sections. The furnace of the outlet section is composed of the side walls 7, end walls 13 and a top plate 14. Each of thefurnaces is supplied :with heating 'means, as burners 15 that may be of any suitable form and construction,"or the heat .rnaybe supplied by any other suitable heating appliance. "It will beund'erstood that the corner post s, top, bottom and end plates and the sides and side walls, hereinbefore :described, are composed of any suitable material to support the structure and to withstand the heatconditio'ns to which the apparatus will besubjected. -Each of the end plates has openings to receive projec- Y tions from flangedjournals 16-17 that are ,mounted infany'" suitable manner, as upon rollers 18 so that they inay be easily rotated. A' cone shaped tube 19 appurtenant to each of the. sections isisecured at each endto one of thesejournals; saidvtubes preferably proecting through the-journals: The small end of each tube is located at the reoeiving end of the chamber in each section and the large. end

of said tube is located .at the discharge .end

of each chamber, and the rollersabo'vereferred to'pe'rmitzsaid tubes to be easilyi'rotated. f'Thi sj rotation may be obtained as by means of a sprocket chain pasing around sprocket wheels secured one to a driving shaft 21 and the other-to the journal 16,

and the top of each housing has'a gas discharge tube 26 projecting, preferably, from theend wall of the housing. I

It will be found in many instances that a plain tube may be employed with satisfactory results in the sections, the taper of the tube being such as to provide the necessary. feed of the material along thetube from the receiving to the discharge end, but

as a means for disturbing the regular movement of the material as it travels along the tube, I have shown fins 27 located on opposite sides of the interior of the tube and extending. lengthwise thereof. It will be understood, however, that these fins may, or may not, be employed as circumstances may demand.

The rollers. 18 are mounted upon bars extending across the apparatusand supported by the sides thereof, this applying to 'the rollers 18 at both the inlet and outlet I ends of the tubes.-.

' jected as at 28 beyond the end of the tube The apparatus as ordinarily constructed wil comprise a plurality of the sections that be constructed. in any suitable manner of any desired material, each equipped with apparatus as hereinabove set forth, such description applying in many respects to all of t-llB'SGGtlODS. The number of such sections to be employed may vary depending upon the demands upon the apparatus.

Asa means for supplying the apparatus with material a hopper '29 maybe located at the receiving end of the receiving section of the apparatus, and'a feed worm' 30 may extend into a discharge opening 31 from the hopper leading into. the smallend of the 4 tube 19 at the receiving end of the apparatus.

This worm may be driven as by means of a belt passing around a pulley 32. The discharge openings 25 in the housings 24 each lead into a receiving opening 33 in a head. 34, which receivin openin conduct the material from the arge en of one rotating tube to the small end of the succeeding rotating tube. As a means for aiding the feed of the material through the receiving openings 33 into the tube the fins 27 are prointo such ieceiv'ng openings;

In the operation of the device the material, as oil shale, is fed into the hopper 29 and the apparatus being in operation, the

The bottom of V mane conical tubes being rotated, and heat being applied to such tubes, the material will pass the discharge ends thereof to permit such gases and vapors to readily and naturally flowto' and out of the gas discharge tubes 26 or such other discharges as maybe provided. -These gases and vapors may then be disposed of in any well known manner, to. separate them, as by condensation, into the various and this operation will take place with respect to each of the tubes 19. These tubes will, be employed in such numbers asto enable all of the gasesand vapors to be extracted from a mass of material 85 the outlet of the last tube, the residue of passing from the inlet of the first tube to such material passing through the discharge gp'ening of the last tube.

By the'use'of my improved cone shaped tube disposed with the smaller end as the inlet and the larger end as the outlet, I am enabled to obtain a flow in the same direction of the material, as shale, and the gases obtained from such inaterial, This is an essential feature as it enables the gases to be taken oil at the maximum temperature of the tube which is the highest and. at approximately the required degree at the outlet end, and this avoids a cooling of the gases and a consequent changing of their char- As such material is heat ingredients,

acteristics after they have once been heated to the degree desired.

Furthermore, the provision of a tapered tube enablesa free and'unobstructed flow of the gases to be obtained from the smallerto the larger end of the tube and'without any pressure upon the vapors or gases, and this enables me to produce'oils and other liquids directly from the vapors and gases and without the formation of a tar'or similar substance which would result if any pressure was permitted or existed upon such vapors or gases. Than again, this free flow of the gases to thelarger and outlet end of the 'ret-ort causes the gases to be gradually heated more and more until they reach the required degree-at ornear the'larger end of the tube at which-they are readily taken off at such higher temperature. It is herein emphasized that this is not an apparatus Within which oils are produced, but it is an apparatus in which vapors or gases are formed and the oils or other liquids are obtained outside of the apparatus, My improved process cannot contemplate the treatment of oil from oil shale for the reason that oil does not exist in oil shale and is only obtained at they end of the operation and outside of the apparatus:

one in advance of the other in the direction dependent'heating means for each tube section, whereby it is ssible to raise the temperature in each tu to a different degree, so that the vapor or gases may be taken off from each tube at specified temperatures,

whereby different material may be produced from the action of the retort by the condenj stantially from 1000 to 1250.

sation of such vapors or gases which are emitted from each tube in strata or staged formation. This enables a staged reduction .of the shale to .be obtained, that is, by providing a separate heat zone for each set or family of vapors or gases a stratified distillation' may be employed for each tube, for

as soon as the vapors or gases are formed at their own heat they will remain in that condition until they pass out of the tube and they will not be subjected to a higher-heat of another family at which they would broken off into.other compounds.

This enables the extraction of vapors or gases from oil shale by the movement of such shale from one cone shaped tube to another, the gases being obtained at different temperatures in different tubes from which dif ferent' products may be derived in the 0on densationof the gases. As an example of" the conditions I have found in shale from one locality the following appears:

By the use of the three retorts shown in the drawings the firstreto'rt may be heated to a temperature of substantially from 750 to 825, the second retort heated to a temperature of substantially 875 to 950, and the third retort heated to a temperature of sub- The gases obtained from the first retort at substantial- 1y from 750 to 825 are suitable for the pro duction ofmotor fuels, while the gases released from the second retort at the temperature stated are suitable for the production of lubricating oils, and the gases obtained from the third retort at the highest degree. are suitable for coal tar products. There is a decided break or interval between the temperatures of succeeding tubes, in the example given herein there being a dill'erence of at least fifty degreesbetween'the higher temperature of each tube and the lower temperature of the next succeeding tube during which interval or break no results are obtained. It is quite evident, however. that conditions will vary in shale fromjdifiercnt localities, or in different kinds of shale, or in different bituminous or other matter that may be passed through the retort, which retort is adapted for thektreatment of a Wide variety of substances, and in the treatment very considerable degree, more or less, from those given in the above example, and I, therefore, mention that the invention is not to be in any way limited or restricted by reason of the example herein given. I

As before mentioned there is in each tube a distinct family or set of vapors, each family being composed Ofdifl'erent vapors produced at the same range of temperature and that exist instratified formation of differentspecific gravities and that flow at different rates of speed and each of which will produce an ingredient common to that family and different from the ingredients produced from the other vapors or members of the family, and the tapered formation of the tubes with the larger end in the direction of flow of the vapors avoids any pres sure thereon and permits them to flow without restriction and thus to maintain their separate and distinct. status in stratified formation.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent-statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

I claim 1. A retort comprising a series of end communicating tapered mounted and arranged in stepped down fortubes rotatably mation. the smaller ends of: the tubes commation, the smaller ends of the tubescolnmunicating with thelarger ends of the tubes, the smaller ends of the tubes forming the inlets, vapor and gas conducting means for the largerend of each tube, and the smaller receiving end disposed below the lower side of thclarger end of the adjacent tube. and there being a material collecting chamber between the tubes.

3. retort comprising a series of end comn-iunicating tapered tubes rotulably mounted and arranged in stepped down formation, the smaller ends of the lubes communicating with the larger ends of the tubes. the smaller ends of the tubes forming the inlets, vapor and gas conducting means for the larger end of each tube, and the of which the temperatures may vary to asmallerreceiving end disposed below the lower side of the larger end of the adjacent 7 tube, and longitudinally extending fins carried by the inner face of each tube and projecting thereof. b I

4. A retort comprising a series of end communicating tapered tubes rotatably.

' mounted and arranged in stepped down for mation, the smaller ends of the tubes communicating with the larger ends of the tubes, the smaller ends of the tubes forming the inlets, vapor and gas conducting means for the larger end of each tube, the smaller receiving end disposed below the lower side of the larger end of the adjacent tube, there being a material'collecting chamber between each tube, and longitudinally extending fins carriedby the inner face of each tube and projecting outwardly of the smaller end thereof. T p

5. A' retort comprising a series of end communicating ta'pered tubes rotatably mou ted and arranged in stepped down formatiomthe smaller ends of the tubes communicating with the larger.ends of the 7 tubes, the'smaller ends of the tubes forming the inlets, vapor and gas conducting means for the larger end of each tube,-the smaller a as receiving end disposed below the lower side of the larger endof the adjacent tube, bearing supportsfor each end of the tubes and power means connected to the bearings for the smaller ends of the tubes.

6. A retort comprising a series of end communicating tapered tubes rotatably mounted and arranged in stepped down formation, the smaller ends of the tubes communicating with the larger ends of the tubes, the smaller ends of the tubes vforming the inlets, vapor and gas conducting means for the larger end of each tube, the smaller receiving end disposed below the lower side of the larger end of the adjacent tube, there being a'materia-l collecting chamber between each tube, bearing supports for each end of the tubes and power means connected to the bearings for the smaller ends of the tubes.

7. A retort comprising a series of end communicating tapered tubes rotatably mounted and arranged in stepped down formation,

" the smaller ends of thetubes communicating with the larger ends of the tubes, the smaller ends of the tubes forming the inlets, w apor 'and gas conducting'means for the arger end of each tube, the smaller receiving end disposed below the lower side of the larger end of the adjacent tube, and inde pendently controlled heating means associated with each tube whereby gases possess ing different chemical properties may be sequestered from each tube.

8. A retort comprising a series of end com municating tapered tubes rotatably mounted and arranged in stepped down formation,

outwardly of the smaller end the smaller ends of the tubes communicating with the larger ends of thetubes, the smaller endsof the tubes forming the inlets, vapor and gas conducting means for the larger end of each tube, the smaller receiving end disposed below the lower side of the larger end of the adjacent tube, there being a material-collecting chamber between each tube, and independently controlled heating means associated with each tube whereby gases possessing different chemical properties may be sequestered from each tube.

9. A retort comprising a series of endcommunicating tapered tubes rotatably mounted and arranged in stepped down formation,

'the smaller ends of the tubes communicating with the larger ends of other tubes, the smaller ends. of the tubes forming the inlets, and vapor and gas conducting means'for the larger end of each'tube.

10.. A retort for the distilling ofgaseous substances comprisingaseries of end communicatingtapered tubes rotatably mounted,

means for conduct-ing material from the large end of one tube to the small endof a. succeeding tube. means for disturbingrfiow of material, as it flows-from the small end to the large end of each tube, and means for conducting gases and vapors from the upper partpf the large end of each tube.

11. A retort comprising a series of end communicating tapered tubes rotatably mounted and arranged to provide flow of material'by gravity from-one tube to another, thesmaller ends of the tubes communicating with. the larger ends of other tubes, the smaller ends of the tubes forming the inlets and the larger ends the outlets, and vapor and gas conducting means for thcdarger end of .each' temperature, the smaller end of the tube forming the inlet and the larger end thereof the outlet, and vapor and gas conducting means for the larger end of said tube.v

14. A retort for the treatment of gaseous substances and comprising a plurality of end communicating tubes mounted and tapered to provide for the unrestricted flow without pressure of vapors and gases formed therein at a predetermined temperature, the smaller end of each tube forming the inlet and the larger end thereof the outlet, and Vapor and inlets, vapor and. gas conducting means for 10 gasconductingmeans for the larger end of the larger end of each tube, the smaller reeach tube. 7 ceiving end disposed below the lower-"side of 15 A retort comprising a series of end the larger end of the adjacent tube, and I 6 communicating tapered tubes rotatably longitudinall extending fins carried by themounted and arranged in stepped down inner face '0 each tube to disturb flow of 15 formation, the smaller ends of the tubes commaterial in said tube. I munica'ting with the larger ends of the tubes the smaller ends of the tubes forming the FREDERIC SJBACON. 

